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Council bosses say applications for Universal Credit have soared in Leicester over the last week.

It comes as the city council sets out measures to help those struggling financially because of coronavirus.

Officials have had more than 500 new applications for the benefit in recent days.

Many people in the city have lost their work after the Government ordered the shutdown of large swathes of the economy to try to stem the spread of Covid-19.

The council says people struggling with paying council tax or rent can get support and advice

And it has made an initial £27 million relief fund available for discretionary housing support and emergency living grants and other measures.

Officials says new claims will be prioritised to help ensure that anyone affected by coronavirus is not left without the means to pay council tax or rent.

Advice on entitlement to housing benefit, Universal Credit and council tax support will be available and support provided as appropriate.

This could include temporary adjustments to household council tax bills and council rent.

The council has also said no recovery action will be taken to pursue council tax or rent linked to Coronavirus or to evict people from council homes where the impact of the virus has left people unable to pay their rent.